NBA icon Charles Barkley has laid bare the toxic fallout that shattered his long-term friendship with basketball legend Michael Jordan.
The Hall of Famer revealed that the pair have not spoken since a blistering late-night phone call in 2012, after Barkley criticized Jordan’s performance as Hornets owner.
Barkley delivered the scathing assessment on an episode of TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ and revealed that, on the same night, he got a call from a frustrated Jordan.
‘He called me that night and went ballistic on me,’ Barkley told the Tom Tolbert show. ‘He said ‘you supposed to be my best friend and you’re going to do that bulls***?’.
Barkley, known for his unfiltered honesty since becoming an analyst, refused to back down despite the intimidating outburst from his friend, the Chicago Bulls icon.
‘I told him I have to do my job and you haven’t been a good GM,’ Barkley admitted.
Charles Barkley has revealed new details of his infamous falling out with Michael Jordan
Barkley and Jordan had been friends for over 20 years before falling out back in 2012
‘How can I criticize other people and give him a pass? When other guys make bad draft picks, I call them on it too’.
The exchange reportedly devolved into a one-sided shouting match as Jordan took the criticism personally.
‘He just cursed me out up and down. And we have not spoken since that night. It’s a very difficult thing for me because he was my best friend at the time’ Barkley added.
The rift dates back to 2012, when Jordan was the managing owner of the Charlotte franchise, then known as the ‘Bobcats’.
Barkley had suggested during a broadcast that Jordan needed to surround himself with people willing to tell him the truth, rather than a circle of ‘Yes men’.
The comments touched a nerve with the notoriously competitive Jordan, leading to a final, profane interaction.
‘The last thing I heard was ‘motherf*****, f*** you, you’re supposed to be my boy,” Barkley previously told the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast.
Despite the radio silence between the two, Barkley admitted that he still holds affection for his former friend and hoped they could one day reconcile.
Jordan’s tenure in Charlotte was frequently under fire, with only two playoff appearances recorded since he bought the club in 2010
He previously told Bleacher Report that he wants to ‘get past the bullsh***’ with Jordan, but that it’s up to the six-time NBA champion to end their beef.
‘That’s on his end. He was my best friend at the time, and I love the guy and I miss the guy,’ Barkley said.
‘I thought it would blow over, to be honest with you. And he’s stubborn — and I’m stubborn — and that’s it.’
Jordan’s tenure in Charlotte was frequently under fire, with only two playoff appearances recorded since he bought the club in 2010.
The two superstars had been close friends for over 20 years before the 2012 blowout ended their relationship.